Lady Hao Hao
Lady Hao Hao is a visual artist; originally from Taiwan, she feels that she has blossomed because of Canada.
Enjoying using abstract concepts to express herself, she refuses to let her works be socialized. Every piece of her work is an intimate conversation between her audience and herself; liking or disliking it is just the beginning of getting to know one another.
Constantly reminding herself that being an artist isn’t just a title nor a description of a job; it is about the purpose behind the work or the responsibility of a person.
In the world of arts, differences in cultures are easily conveyed; it has opened up the world for her. Finding herself was the biggest gift she received from moving to Canada.
Behind The Mask
It is said that words can be sharper than a knife, and oftentimes we say things that are hurtful without it ever being our intention. The purpose of masks is to protect us from getting sick or prevent the spreading of disease, but sometimes it is our own actions or words that do more harm.
This art piece portrays the irony that on the flip side of every beautiful story and gesture exists its potentially damaging impact. Further, the appearance of the inner side of the mask and its similarity to the media’s images of the SARS-CoV-2 virus reflects that it can be difficult for us to differentiate between what is poisonous and what is beautiful. In these current times, we must examine our past behaviours and reflect on how we can learn from them. It takes courage to understand ourselves and each other, and even more so to own our past mistakes.
“The Other Side of Masks” serves as a reminder that our words and actions, in spite of their beauty, can also hold unintentional danger. And just like the two sides of a mask, we must see both sides in order to grow.
Virus of Unintended Aggression
Virus of Subconscious Suspicion
Artwork Story: https://gallery.vancouvertaiwanfest.ca/OtherSideOfMask-ch
The Other Side of Mask
Products of this artwork
Just Taiwan Please
In many places around the world, symbols representing the colonial past are being removed or challenged as part of the decolonization movement. Statues being destroyed and streets being renamed are just some of the ways people and places are trying to stop memorializing the colonizers. In Canada, the whole nation is still learning the truth behind the Indigenous Residential Schools where children were forced to adopt the colonizers’ culture. In Taiwan, memories of people being forced to give up their mother tongues are not too far removed for many generations today.
There are many cities around the world that were once colonized such as Seoul, Jakatar, Hong Kong, Macau, Manila, Taipei… Is it right to force the citizens of the place to honour their colonizers by recognizing their colonizers before their names of the cities? If people don’t want to be called English Vancouver, Japanese Seoul, Spanish Manila…then no more Chinese Taipei, the name is Taiwan, so Just Taiwan Please!
Artwork story: https://gallery2021.vancouvertaiwanfest.ca/just-taiwan-please.html
Wei Ni Beijing
Chinese Taipei
French Ho Chi Minh
Japanese Seoul
Portugal Macau
